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3 teams Yankees can flip Alex Verdugo to after shocking trade

If the Yankees want to continue wheeling and dealing, this is an easy one.

By Adam Weinrib |
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Want to get to the bottom of the supposed chemistry issues the Yankees just imported by acquiring Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox? Eh, it feels easier to just flip him before he ever shows up. Clean hands.

In the cool light of day Wednesday morning, MLB insider Jon Morosi claimed that the Yankees plan to keep Verdugo ... "in the near-term," at least. Presumably, that meant the San Diego Padres were disinterested in his services, but as the offseason creeps forward, somebody else just might be. Or someone at the trade deadline, if Jasson Dominguez's recovery progresses well.

If this feels like it's being written with the type of clear undertone that could only come from someone who has no interest in Verdugo, you'd be right on the money there, Jack. The Yankees are stuck with their .600 OPS-with-RISP-since-2022 clubhouse disaster for now, but that doesn't mean we can't fantasize about alternate locations that could pop up as the year goes on.

As Aaron Boone told The Athletic's Chris Kirschner on Wednesday:

Yeah. We're in December. We've been around this game long enough that you never say anything isn't possible, but I am expecting (we keep him).
Aaron Boone

3 teams Yankees can trade ex-Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo to

...otherwise known as the teams that cleared the deck before not making a big move at the Winter Meetings, otherwise known as "The Non-Splash Brothers."

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants cleared the deck for Shohei Ohtani, but still seem to be outside his top two destinations, despite the slugger following Logan Webb on Instagram. They have an overload of outfielders at the moment, all of whom would be more appealing in New York than Verdugo and his embedded arrogance.

This would be an odd swap. Verdugo is probably a stronger performer than Mike Yastrzemski at this moment in time, but would the Giants take on Verdugo's money plus a pitching prospect (Luis Gil?) in exchange for Yaz 2.0? Would they saddle the Yankees with Michael Conforto's considerable cash in a Verdugo swap?

The ex-Red Sox made significant defensive strides last season and earned a finalist spot in the Gold Glove race. He'd look nice roaming the cavernous outfield of Oracle Park, as well as peppering the gaps with his patented liners. McCovey Cove is tough for left-handers to reach, but if the Yankees keep the Giants' outfield logjam stable while offering some sweeteners, this could be an (odd) fit for a team that needs action. Maybe at the deadline.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

What are the Angels doing? What have they been doing for the better part of five years? Your guess is as good as anyone's, but odds are they're about to enter "Licking Their Wounds After Losing Ohtani Mode," which is a bad mode.

At the very least, they need a platoon partner for Taylor Ward in left field, who took massive steps back following his 2022 emergence. Mike Trout, who won't be traded but also might not be himself anymore, is the lone "sure thing" in an outfield that also includes Mickey Moniak -- and even the certainty of Trout's production has begun to fade. One year after the Angels collected several mid-tier names, from Brandon Drury to Hunter Renfroe to Gio Urshela, they very well might need to do it again, especially considering their low-ranked farm system continues to come up short.

Verdugo played at a near-All-Star level to begin 2023, but fell off significantly as the year continued -- much like the Angels, as a whole. Acquiring the swaggering lefty outfielder wouldn't solve all of Anaheim's many problems, but, again, they're in "name collection" mode and Verdugo possesses an edge and a clutch gene that could help galvanize an odd clubhouse (or, again, turn them off entirely).

Seattle Mariners

This is the clearest fit in MLB, considering where the Mariners sit and what they lack (in self-imposed fashion).

When Seattle cleared huge chunks of payroll in recent weeks by trading Eugenio Suarez, Marco Gonzales, and Evan White -- as well as watching Teoscar Hernandez fly into free agency and clearing Jarred Kelenic off the roster -- they suddenly gained significant flexibility. You know, the type of flexibility that might make you believe they coveted Juan Soto. Or Gleyber Torres? ...Alex Verdugo?

Bottom line, no one knows if Jerry Dipoto intends to operate at the top of the market and replenish anything, or has instead been ordered to lay low and take several steps back, even though the team went "all in" and extended Luis Castillo just last year. At this moment, the Mariners have unfilled outfield holes, as well as Josh Rojas at second base and Luis Urías at third. That is not a contender, and is stunningly far from the caliber of 2023's Opening Day roster.

The M's are flush with young pitching, and while top-tier names like Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller won't be considered here, Emerson Hancock could be a fit. If he made sense in a Torres swap, the ex-sixth overall pick fits even better in a deal for Verdugo's $9 million.

Of course, the Yankees could just be planning to keep the lefty agitator all year long and coax him to free agency in pinstripes. As Aaron Boone said, it is only December, after all.

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